I hear a lot of people say that bandages are unsafe but I wonder how true it is. Most if not all of this info comes from anecdotes (I don’t think there is any actual data on how safe they are, likewise, if there is any data on binders I haven’t heard of it either.) I think the issues many people have with bandages could be that there isn’t a prescribed way to put them on, no way of knowing how tight to wrap them, etc. I used a couple different types of bandages before getting a binder because there wasn’t a way for me to get one without outing myself to my parents, which I didn’t want to do at the time. While the binders I’ve tried are all better than the bandages in how long they last, binding effectiveness, ease of use, and comfort, I never actually experienced any physical harm from using bandages. Interesting to note, I have had some side effects of binder use (skin irritation, soreness) that didn’t happen with the bandages (probably because binders always goes on the same way.)

Also, some people can’t afford binders or can’t get them for whatever reason (hard to find if you can’t order from the internet,) and I feel this comes off a bit snobby. A better message would be, “here are some types of binding:… some people report these effects, try at your own risk”

be careful everyone! binders really are expensive, so if you’ve avoided buying one because of the cost you can get them for pay-what-you-can on a sliding scale from both the Union for Gender Empowerment and the 2110 Center (hurrah for montreal)